1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved communication device. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a computer implemented method and computer usable program code in a communication device for automatically verifying and updating telephone numbers across service providers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Innovations in communications technologies have made a wide range of enhanced communications services available to a user. For example, a user may dial a telephone number at the press of a key by using speed-dialing, retrieve a telephone number for a missed call, view a telephone number of an incoming call on a display by using caller identification (caller ID), and send or retrieve a voice message by using voice mail. A communications provider often provides these services through a network such as an intelligent services network (ISN) that is privately owned but that works in conjunction with the public switched telephone network (PSTN). These services also may be offered by a dedicated device, such as a telephone with advanced electronics or a telephone answering machine, located at the user's premises.
However, one problem associated with current communications technologies is that there is no way for a user of a communication device to know whether a dialed telephone number is correct for an intended party prior to making the connection with the dialed telephone number. This is especially true in a situation where the user of the communication device utilizes a different service provider than the intended party because service providers are not fully integrated to allow cross-access to database information by non-customers. Since there is no way to verify that the dialed number is correct, or even currently active, prior to making the connection, the calling party must wait for the service provider to connect the call as dialed and then attempt to ascertain whether the dialed number is actually associated with the intended party. This process of ascertaining whether the dialed number is correct or not may be tedious and time consuming. In addition, the calling party may be responsible for paying a completed call charge and/or roaming fees to make this determination without any assurance that the dialed number is correct.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have an improved computer implemented method and computer usable program code for automatically verifying and updating a telephone number across service providers.